In the Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem, the development of Rollups always faces a core contradiction: each Rollup is an 'independent ledger'—assets, data, and user behavior are confined to a single chain, resembling isolated 'digital wallets', unable to form cross-chain value circulation. This 'ledger isolation' causes Layer 2 to fall into the dilemma of 'scale without collaboration': the more Rollups there are, the more fragmented the assets become, making cross-chain operations more cumbersome, and the overall value of the ecosystem becomes difficult to enhance.
Caldera (ERA)'s 'Rollup internet' is not merely about connecting multiple Rollups, but rather building a 'interconnected ledger system'—it opens up the ledger data of all ERA Rollups, forming a unified 'value circulation network': assets can flow freely across Rollups, data can synchronize in real-time across Rollups, and user behavior can generate collaborative value across Rollups. This model transforms the value of Layer 2 from a 'linear addition' of individual Rollups into an 'exponential resonance' of multi-chain collaboration, fundamentally reconstructing the value circulation logic of Layer 2.
1. The value dilemma of 'independent ledgers': Three circulation barriers in the Layer 2 ecosystem.
To understand the innovations of Caldera (ERA), it is essential to break down the three major value circulation barriers that the 'independent ledger' brings to Layer 2—these barriers prevent the value of assets, data, and user behavior from being transferred across chains, ultimately limiting ecological growth.
1. The 'ledger barriers' of asset circulation: Cross-Rollup is like 'cross-border remittance'.
The 'independent ledger' characteristic of traditional Rollups makes cross-chain asset transfers akin to 'currency exchanges between different countries': each Rollup has its own asset account system; users transferring assets across Rollups must go through a complex process of 'asset locking - cross-chain bridge verification - target chain release', and there are three major issues:
- Value loss: Cross-chain bridges charge a fee of 0.1%-1%, and exchange rate fluctuations may cause asset depreciation (e.g., price fluctuations of USDC during cross-chain transfers).
- Trust dependency: Asset security is entirely reliant on the multi-signature nodes of the cross-chain bridge. If a node acts maliciously (e.g., a cross-chain bridge hack in 2023), assets will face loss risks.
- Circulation delays: Cross-chain confirmation times range from 10 minutes to 1 hour, preventing assets from arriving in real-time, affecting users' immediate operational needs (e.g., missing DeFi arbitrage opportunities).
A report on Layer 2 asset liquidity shows that in 2024, the average cost for users to transfer assets across Rollups is 0.8%, with an average time of 25 minutes. Among them, 30% of users abandon cross-chain operations due to 'high costs and slow speeds'. This 'ledger barrier' prevents assets from circulating freely within the Layer 2 ecosystem, missing numerous value linkage opportunities.
2. The 'island barriers' of data circulation: The value of user behavior cannot be reused.
Each Rollup's 'independent ledger' only records user behavior data on its own chain (such as transaction history, NFT holdings, credit scores), which cannot be reused across Rollups, leading to a severe underestimation of the value of user behavior.
- User identity fragmentation: High credit scores of users in A Rollup (based on historical repayment records) cannot be recognized in lending protocols of B Rollup, requiring them to rebuild their credit.
- Limitation of innovative results: A team developed a 'user behavior analysis algorithm' in C Rollup (recommending DeFi products based on transaction data), which could only achieve a recommendation accuracy of 30% due to the inability to access user data from other Rollups, far below the 70% accuracy of cross-chain data.
- Lack of scenario collaboration: Metaverse projects need to link user 'avatar data' in D Rollup with 'item holding data' in E Rollup, but independent ledgers make such cross-scenario collaboration impossible, leading to a fragmented user experience.
A Web3 data survey shows that only 15% of user data in the Layer 2 ecosystem achieves cross-Rollup reuse, while the remaining 85% of data is idled due to 'island barriers'. This waste of data prevents Layer 2 from forming 'data-driven ecological collaboration', severely suppressing innovation potential.
3. The 'value barriers' of ecological collaboration: Single-chain innovation struggles to form network effects.
The 'independent ledger' of traditional Layer 2 restricts the innovation of each Rollup to 'single-chain network effects'—the user growth and application richness of a specific Rollup cannot drive value enhancement in other Rollups and may even lead to 'zero-sum competition'.
- User competition and internal friction: Rollups attract users through high-value airdrops, but users frequently switch between multiple chains to obtain airdrops, failing to form long-term retention, resulting in slow overall user growth of the ecosystem.
- Application resources are fragmented: the same type of applications (such as DeFi aggregation platforms) are repeatedly deployed across multiple Rollups, scattering users and making it difficult for applications on each chain to reach the 'network effect threshold' (e.g., insufficient liquidity leading to high slippage in transactions).
- Value closed-loop breakage: NFT projects on one Rollup cannot cooperate with DeFi protocols on other Rollups (e.g., NFT collateral loans), failing to form a 'minting - trading - staking' value closed loop, shortening the project lifecycle.
The 2024 Layer 2 ecological report indicates that the traditional Layer 2 'ecological coordination index' (the degree of multi-chain value linkage) is only 0.3 (full score 1), while the Ethereum mainnet's coordination index reaches 0.8. This 'value barrier' prevents the scale growth of Layer 2 from being transformed into ecological value enhancement, remaining in the 'fragmented prosperity' stage.
2. Caldera (ERA)'s 'interconnected ledger': Three core designs break circulation barriers.
Caldera (ERA)'s 'interconnected ledger system' breaks the circulation barriers of the 'independent ledger' through three core designs: 'unified asset layer', 'shared data layer', and 'collaborative protocol layer', allowing assets, data, and ecosystems to achieve cross-Rollup value circulation, creating a '1+1>2' synergy effect.
1. Unified asset layer: Building a 'cross-Rollup asset hub' to achieve value circulation without loss.
The unified asset layer is the 'asset circulation hub' of Caldera (ERA). It enables assets to circulate across all ERA Rollups in a 'no fees, real-time settlement, safe and trustworthy' manner, completely breaking the 'ledger barriers'.
Its core operational logic consists of three steps:
(1) Unified asset custody: Shared asset pool replaces independent accounts.
Users deposit assets into Caldera (ERA)'s 'shared asset pool' (deployed on the Ethereum mainnet), which generates a unique 'ERA asset certificate' for users—this certificate is linked to the user's wallet address and can be used across all ERA Rollups without the need to open separate asset accounts for each Rollup.
- The asset pool supports mainstream asset types such as ETH, USDC, ERC-20/721/1155, and after users deposit, they still retain ownership of the assets, with the asset pool only responsible for custody and certificate generation.
- All operations of the asset pool are executed through smart contracts, requiring no third-party intervention, ensuring asset security (the smart contract code has passed open-source audits, with no permission vulnerabilities).
For example, if a user deposits 100 USDC into the shared asset pool, they will receive 100 'ERA-USDC certificates', which can be used in any ERA Rollup without needing to deposit USDC separately into each Rollup.
(2) Certificate cross-chain reuse: Real-time circulation replaces cross-chain transfer.
When users use assets in any ERA Rollup, they do not need to 'transfer' assets to that Rollup; they only need to present the 'ERA asset certificate'. After the smart contract verifies the certificate's validity, they can directly use the corresponding asset quota—throughout the process, there are no fees or delays, just like operating within a single Rollup.
- Certificate verification is achieved through the Ethereum mainnet's 'state root synchronization' mechanism: the transaction state roots of all ERA Rollups are synchronized in real-time to the mainnet, with smart contracts verifying the authenticity and validity of certificates through state roots.
- User operations in the target Rollup (such as transfers, staking, transactions) will update their quota in the shared asset pool in real-time, allowing other ERA Rollups to synchronize the latest quotas to avoid the 'double spending' issue.
User tests show that trading with the 'ERA-USDC certificate' across 5 ERA Rollups took only 3 seconds, with no fees, and asset quotas synchronized in real-time, far exceeding traditional cross-chain bridges.
(3) Two-way asset exchange: Free entry and exit replace closed loops.
Users can redeem their 'ERA asset certificates' for native assets (e.g., redeeming ERA-USDC for USDC) or reverse redeem (redeeming USDC for ERA-USDC), with the exchange process automatically executed by smart contracts, with no threshold limitations:
- Exchanges do not require third-party platforms; users interact directly with the asset pool, and the exchange rate is consistent with the real-time market rate, with no premiums or discounts.
- Exchange records are transparently stored on-chain and can be queried through Ethereum explorers, ensuring transparency and trust.
This 'two-way exchange' mechanism allows assets to circulate freely within the ERA ecosystem while enabling withdrawal from the ecosystem at any time, avoiding the closed-loop situation of 'assets trapped in a specific Rollup'.
2. Shared data layer: Building a 'cross-Rollup data platform' to achieve reuse of user behavior value.
The shared data layer is the 'data circulation hub' of Caldera (ERA). Through the 'data standardization + real-time synchronization' mechanism, it integrates all ERA Rollup user behavior data into a 'unified data pool', supporting cross-Rollup reuse, breaking the 'island barriers'.
Its core capabilities are reflected in three aspects:
(1) Data standardization: Unified formats replace fragmented storage.
The shared data layer defines the 'ERA data standards', requiring all ERA Rollup user behavior data (such as transaction records, NFT holdings, credit scores) to be stored in standard formats, ensuring compatibility across Rollups.
- Data standards cover data structures (such as field names, types, lengths), storage formats (such as JSON-LD), access interfaces (such as GraphQL API), so application developers do not need to adapt to different Rollup data formats.
- Data is classified and stored based on 'user identity identifiers' (linked to wallet addresses), centralizing all behavior data of each user, facilitating cross-Rollup querying and reuse.
For instance, the 'lending repayment records' of users in A ERA Rollup and the 'NFT transaction records' in B ERA Rollup are all stored in the shared data layer according to 'ERA data standards', allowing application developers to access the user's complete behavior data through a unified API.
(2) Real-time data synchronization: Instant sharing replaces delayed transmission.
The shared data layer achieves real-time synchronization of all ERA Rollup data through the 'off-chain message queue + on-chain state synchronization' mechanism.
- Off-chain message queues (such as LayerZero) transmit newly generated data from each ERA Rollup in real-time, ensuring data delays do not exceed 1 second.
- On-chain state synchronization is achieved through 'data hash on chain': the hash values of data are synchronized in real-time to the Ethereum mainnet, allowing application developers to verify the integrity and authenticity of data through hash values, avoiding data tampering.
A certain DeFi application obtained user 'transaction history data' from 3 ERA Rollups through the shared data layer, with a data synchronization delay of only 0.5 seconds, improving query efficiency by 10 times compared to traditional cross-chain data retrieval methods.
(3) Data authorization and use: Privacy protection replaces indiscriminate sharing.
The shared data layer employs a 'user authorization + privacy computing' mechanism to ensure data reuse while protecting user privacy.
- Users must actively authorize application developers to access their specific types of data (e.g., only authorizing lending protocols to access credit score data), and authorization records are stored on-chain, allowing users to revoke authorization at any time.
- Sensitive data (such as phone numbers, transaction amounts) is processed using 'zero-knowledge proof' technology, allowing application developers to only obtain the 'validation results' of the data (e.g., 'user credit score ≥ 80 points'), without access to the original data, protecting user privacy.
This 'authorized use' mechanism achieves cross-chain data reuse while avoiding the risk of 'data abuse', balancing data value with privacy security.
3. Collaborative protocol layer: Establishing 'cross-Rollup ecological rules' to achieve the resonance of innovative value.
The collaborative protocol layer is the 'ecological coordination hub' of Caldera (ERA). Through the 'unified rules + shared benefits' mechanism, it allows all ERA Rollup innovations to form a 'network effect', breaking the 'value barriers'.
Its core mechanisms include:
(1) Unified ecological rules: Reducing coordination costs.
The collaborative protocol layer has established the 'ERA ecological basic rules', covering trading confirmation mechanisms, Gas fee calculation standards, safety verification logic, etc. All ERA Rollups must comply with unified rules to avoid coordination barriers arising from rule differences.
- Rules are enforced through smart contracts, requiring no manual intervention, ensuring consistency across all Rollups.
- Rule updates are realized through a 'community governance' mechanism, where ERA ecological participants (application developers, Rollup operators, users) vote to decide, ensuring fairness.
For example, the 'block confirmation time' for all ERA Rollups is standardized to 3 seconds, and the 'Gas fee calculation standard' is unified based on transaction complexity, allowing application developers to avoid adjusting product logic for different Rollups, reducing coordination costs by 80%.
(2) Sharing innovative results: Avoiding reinventing the wheel.
The collaborative protocol layer supports 'synchronization of innovative templates across Rollups'—innovative results from a specific ERA Rollup (such as Gas fee optimization algorithms, NFT minting tools) can be packaged into 'innovative templates' and synchronized to all ERA Rollups through the protocol, allowing application developers to avoid redundant development.
- Templates must be verified by the community (such as security audits, efficiency tests) to ensure quality.
- Template creators can receive 'ecological rewards': application developers using the templates must pay a small fee (calculated by usage), which is automatically distributed to the template creators, incentivizing innovation.
A team developed a 'lightweight NFT minting template' in A ERA Rollup, which synchronized through the collaborative protocol to 20 ERA Rollups, used by 50 applications, earning the creator over $100,000 in ecological rewards, while saving the ecosystem over $5 million in development costs.
(3) Benefit-sharing mechanism: Network effects replace zero-sum competition.
The collaborative protocol layer has designed an 'ERA ecological incentive pool', which injects a portion of transaction fees from all ERA Rollups into the pool, distributed to ecological participants (application developers, Rollup operators, users) based on 'contribution', encouraging ecological collaboration.
- Contribution is calculated through the 'ecological value scoring': User growth of application developers, resource sharing of Rollups, and cross-chain user activity can all enhance their scores.
- The higher the score, the more shares of the incentive pool are received, forming a positive cycle of 'the more proactive the collaboration, the richer the rewards'.
For instance, a certain DeFi application reused user data from other Rollups through the shared data layer, resulting in a 50% user growth, increasing its 'ecological value score', and gaining a 30% increase in the incentive pool share; at the same time, the Rollup providing the data also gained additional scoring due to 'data contribution', achieving a 'mutual benefit'.
3. Ecological practice of value resonance: Three new scenarios activate Layer 2 growth potential.
After Caldera (ERA) breaks the circulation barriers through the 'interconnected ledger', the Layer 2 ecosystem finally achieves 'value resonance'—the cross-chain collaboration of assets, data, and innovation has given rise to three entirely new application scenarios, which not only enhance user experience but also drive the large-scale growth of the Layer 2 ecosystem.
1. Cross-Rollup smart wealth management: Asset linkage maximizes returns.
Based on the unified asset layer, application developers can create 'cross-Rollup smart wealth management' products—users' assets are automatically allocated among different ERA Rollup wealth management products, adjusting configurations based on real-time returns to maximize profits without requiring users to operate across chains manually.
For example, the operational logic of a certain 'ERA smart wealth management platform' is as follows:
- Users deposit $10,000 in ERA-USDC certificates, and the platform monitors the yields of DeFi products across all ERA Rollups in real-time (e.g., A Rollup's lending annual yield of 5%, B Rollup's liquidity mining annual yield of 8%, C Rollup's arbitrage annual yield of 10%).
- Smart algorithms automatically allocate $10,000 among different products (e.g., $4,000 invested in C Rollup arbitrage, $3,000 in B Rollup mining, $3,000 in A Rollup lending) based on returns, risks, and liquidity factors.
- Real-time return settlement, users can view total returns in any ERA Rollup, or redeem assets at any time without any restrictions.
The platform has been online for 2 months, with users exceeding 80,000 and an average annual yield of 7.5%, far surpassing traditional single Rollup wealth management products (average annual yield of 4%)—this is the value enhancement brought by 'cross-chain asset linkage'.
2. Cross-Rollup credit system: Data reuse lowers financing thresholds.
Based on the shared data layer, application developers can build a 'cross-Rollup credit system'—user behavior data across all ERA Rollups (such as repayment records, transaction history, NFT holdings) is integrated into an 'ERA credit score', supporting cross-Rollup use and lowering financing thresholds.
A certain 'ERA credit lending platform' is highly representative of this practice:
- The platform collects user behavior data from 3 ERA Rollups through the shared data layer to generate credit scores (full score 100 points): on-time repayments +10 points, high-frequency trading +5 points, holding high-value NFTs +8 points.
- Users with a credit score of ≥ 80 points can obtain 'unsecured loan limits' (up to $50,000), with higher scores granting higher limits and lower interest rates.
- Users can initiate loan requests in any ERA Rollup, and the platform verifies credit scores through the collaborative protocol layer, completing approvals within 5 seconds, with funds arriving in real-time.
The platform has been online for 1 month, with total loans exceeding $20 million and a bad debt rate of only 0.3%—traditional single Rollup lending platforms usually have bad debt rates of over 2%. This is the improvement in risk control capabilities brought by 'cross-chain data reuse'.
3. Cross-Rollup metaverse ecosystem: Scenario collaboration enhances user retention.
Based on the collaborative protocol layer, metaverse projects can build 'cross-Rollup scenario collaboration' ecosystems—different ERA Rollups undertake different scenario functions (such as avatar creation, game interaction, item trading), achieving seamless experiences through data and asset linkage, enhancing user retention.
The design logic of a certain 'ERA metaverse platform' is as follows:
- Building 3 ERA Rollups: 'Avatar Rollup' (users create virtual avatars, data synchronized to the shared data layer), 'Game Rollup' (users participate in battles using virtual avatars, with asset usage based on the unified asset layer's certificate), 'Trading Rollup' (users trade game items, with transaction fees injected into the ecological incentive pool).
- Users can create a virtual avatar in the 'Avatar Rollup' and directly enter battles in the 'Game Rollup', with the obtained items automatically synchronized to the 'Trading Rollup' for sale, all operations without switching Rollups.
- The platform provides extra rewards to users actively participating across scenarios (e.g., engaging in both avatar creation and game battles) through the ecological incentive pool, enhancing user stickiness.
The platform has been online for 3 months, with daily active users exceeding 150,000 and a user retention rate of 65% (the retention rate of traditional single Rollup metaverse projects is only 30%)—this is the experience upgrade brought by 'scenario cross-chain collaboration'.
